Status Updates From Goliath’s Curse: The Histor...

"One study of twenty-three modern, rich countries found those with higher levels of economic inequality had stronger beliefs that wealth was earned meritocratically."

"What we see... is a pattern. People revolted and abandoned urban settlements as they became increasingly unequal and hierarchical. It looks similar to what happened... with Çatalhöyük, Jenne-Jeno, and Taosi. These weren't just abandonments or rebellions. People were choosing to walk away from what we tend to see as the natural course of history: the adoption of cities, agriculture, and states."